“Zu: Warriors From Magic Mountain” Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director: Tsui Hark
Producer: Leonard Ho
Cast: Yuen Biao, Mang Hoi, Adam Cheng, Damian Lau, Sammo Hung, Moon Lee, Brigitte Lin, Norman Chu, Randy Man, Ha Kwong-Li, Tsui Hark
Running Time: 98 min.
By Numskull
An unrestrained martial arts fantasy extravaganza with ample tongue-in-cheek humor delivered with a smug “ain’t I a genius?” attitude by overpraised director Tsui Hark. This sugar rush of a movie bombards the audience with one special effects-laden action sequence after another until the whole production becomes a blur, largely devoid of truly memorable moments and remarkable only on account of its excesses. Antiquated special effects pop up all over the place as “fish out of water” Yuen Biao encounters numerous mystics and warriors with all sorts of supernatural powers (like a guy who can use his facial hairs as extendable appendages) and undertakes a quest to defeat the wicked Blood Demon and bring an end to a senseless war between rival factions who fight because…uh, they don’t like each other. I guess.
The storyline is (I assume) steeped in Chinese folklore and loaded with geek-friendly minutiae to which, I’m fairly certain, people more knowledgeable than myself attach all sorts of significance. I’d find out more, but frankly, I didn’t find the movie entertaining enough to justify the effort…and this is coming from a guy who goes on mini-shopping sprees in the Mythology & Folklore section at Barnes & Noble and was at the top of Mr. White’s Myth & Legend class in high school. The film is reasonably coherent as long as you resist the urge to turn your attention elsewhere, but the breakneck pace and relentlessness of the fantasy elements still make it feel like too much, too quick.
Maybe Tsui Hark should make another Zu movie now that more sophisticated special effects are available. Oh, hey, that’s right, he DID, and it bombed (rightly so, I might add). Oh well. Life is tough when you’re a hack director.
Numskull’s Rating: 5/10
By Vic Nguyen
Tsui Hark directed this groundbreaking special effects extravaganza which is a favorite among fans of Hong Kong’s fantasy genre. Features an all-star cast with names such as Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, Meng Hoi, Brigitte Lin, Moon Lee, and Adam Cheng being the most memorable of the bunch. Although the special effects might seem amateurish by today’s standards, they are still impressive considering the budget, and the sheer imagination that the film possesses makes it an exhilirating thrillride until the end credits. A must for any Hong Kong enthusiast.
Vic Nguyen’s Rating: 8/10
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